Abandoned Maguire Airport near Windermere and Ocoee FL - Improved Version

This is a new and improved version of the original Maguire Airport video. It contains shots of the abandoned Maguire Airport in Ocoee, FL. This new video contains some aerial shots of the airport and some Google Earth images showing the airport being erased from the face of the earth by new development until all trace of it is gone. This small country airport was located 12nm due west of Orlando Executive Airport (ORL) at 2600 S Maguire Road in Ocoee, FL It was surrounded by orange groves. The video was shot in 1990 before the airport disappeared completely and now there is nary a trace to be found. The land is now occupied by the Plantation Grove Shopping Center and surrounded by homes. The airport had a north/south 2,400 ft. turf runway, Runway 36/18. Some of my best flying days were spent at this airport under the watchful eye of Harold Maguire.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Maguire
• airport
• Ocoee
• Windermere
• Florida
• FL
• Airports
• McGuire
• MacGuire
• Abandoned
• airports
• bird
• strike
• flying
• Orlando
• aviation
• airplane
• Cessna
• Piper
• Mooney
• Beechcraft
• Harold Maguire
• Winter Garden
• defunked
• Mickeys
• air
• service
• Maguire road
• Gale
• Ball
• Dan
• Blake
• Doug
• Denny
• Iaasc
• Bridge
• Creek
• Largo
• Cay
• Ocean
• View
• Mangrove
• Bay
• Treasure
• Landing
• flyinbrian
• fly2high

[abcpilot]

WOW just WOW...I am so glad I came across this video, at 42 yrs. old now what memories this brings back. I did my soft/short field training there and bob white (x61) north of there. I trained out of air orlando (korl) and flight test date was 8/18/88. I can't find any of my old jax. sectionals but X30 is what we used for log book but wasn't this also called orlando west on the chart, am I wrong about that. GREAT WIDEO.

[nbkc21d]

@abcpilot The airport started life as the "Maguire Airport" after Harold Magure, original owner and operator of the field. Later it became knows as "Orlando West," so your recollection is correct. Thanks for watching!

[kristinasuewhite]

I grew up right down the road from this airport! So great to be able to see it again in your video, thank you so much for sharing it!!!

[nbkc21d]

@kristinasuewhite Thank you so much for watching. I'm glad someone else remembers the airport.

[TomeElly3]

Later it wouldn't ever bother me ever again. How I wish I could have been

around more to go flying with him in my older and adult years. Maybe someday, if I ever get wealthy, I can try

for MY pilot's license, and fly with him in memory.

[nbkc21d]

@TomeElly3 So you are the one that was messing up the buttons on our phones! Only kidding of course. I remember Hugh. Although I am not familiar with the details, it seems like he owned a couple of Cessna 150's that were leased to the airport for cable patrol and gas-line patrol. (Mickey's Air Service had contracts with AT&T and Fla Gas to perform aerial inspection.) The airport also had several planes for rental and certainly some of these were your granddad’s. Thanks for watching!

[MrEmilner]

Loved reliving my time at Maguire through your video! I got my private there in 1977 and worked there the next year. Ed

[nbkc21d]

@slothsloth421 Thanks for the comment. Life moves on and sometimes airports disappear! Glad to keep the memory of the place alive.

[TomeElly3]

I remember how white-knucled

(as he would call it) that I would get the first few times I went with him, (especially when a couple we're during

bad weather) mostly at take off. For some reason, that first big drop in an airpocket made me a little uneasy as a

tike (2-4 yrs. old) , but "Paw-Paw would start putting a pack of Fig Newtons back there to occupy me (seeing how

I loved food as much as flying).

[TomeElly3]

My grandfather, Hugh Grimes, kept a couple of his planes out there. That is until some careless individuals

chartered them and wrecked them. Great memories I have of flying out of there with my dear ol' "Paw-Paw".

How I miss him and the Maguire airport, and those flights. I remember going out to the conference table

and playing with the old punch card business phone as a tike when no-one was watching.

[nbkc21d]

@Carolsw1 Thanks for watching!

[Carolsw1]

Nicely done.